1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the treatment of porous materials by impregnation with polymeric resins. The object of the invention is a method for treating porous materials, particularly suitable for porous materials, wherein the mean radius of the pores is relatively high. The materials as obtained by the method are also an object of the invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The impregnation of porous materials with polymeric resins is generally performed in order to improve the mechanical properties of the material, without altering the other properties, especially their aspect. The porous material to be treated is first impregnated with a polymerizable compound, then this compound is hardened by ensuring its polymerization. The polymerizable compounds used are generally highly volatile monomers, which results in problems in the carrying out of the process, in connection with the losses of the monomer due to its evaporation during the polymerization, which problems have found no satisfactory solution up to now. Indeed, although polymerization under water has been proposed, the known methods still show a great lack of efficiency.
This invention has an essential object to overcome these drawbacks; it also aims at improving the mechanical properties of the materials still further, through a method which can be easily carried out, especially when treating slabs, bricks, pipes or any other structures of stony and porous materials, such as those used in the building industry, especially materials mainly comprising an hydraulic binder and a granular and/or fibrous filler. Another object of the invention is, in a preferred mode of carrying out the method according to the invention, to obtain porous materials of the type described which show high weathering properties, are not altered by water and which retain the initial aspect over extended use, even though in open air.